(UPDATE, 4 p.m.) Police on Wednesday afternoon arrested the suspect in the shooting of three people in Billings - identified as 39-year-old Darrell Bryant - in the town of Columbus, which is about 44 miles west of Billings.
Police initially thought Bryant was holed up in the Billings residence, and officers closed off the area for several hours, using flash-bangs and chemical agents in attempts to make contact with Bryant, according to Lt. Matt Lennick of the Billings Police Department.
Police then determined he had left the residence before police arrived, and they received a tip that he was in Columbus. The tip was confirmed by the Stillwater County Sheriff's Office.
Officers from several agencies, including Billings police, the Yellowstone County Sheriff's Office, Stillwater County Sheriff's Office, and Columbus Police Department, arrested Bryant without incident, according to Lennick.
He was booked into Yellowstone County jail on suspicion of three charges of attempted deliberate homicide.
The three victims were a 45-year-old woman, an 18-year-old man and a 16-year-old boy, who all live in Billings area. At this point, the nature and extent of their injuries have not been released.
We will update you if we get more information.
(UPDATE, 11:12 a.m.) The standoff on the Billings West End has ended.
Police said the suspect "has been located in a neighboring county."
Police have not yet released any other details, including the exact location where the suspect was found.
(1st REPORT) Billings police shut down a portion of King Avenue West early on Wednesday, August 16, 2023, after responding to a shooting and finding a person barricaded in a residence.
Police officers responded at 1:49 a.m. to a weapons complaint on West Meadow Drive.
Officers found three people who were injured in a shooting; all were taken to a hospital. There is no word at this time on the nature or severity of their injuries.
As of 6 a.m., the suspect was barricaded in the residence and there is a "large police presence in the area."
The suspect has been identified, according to Billings police Sgt. Sam Puckett. Several homes nearby have been evacuated. A hostage negotiator, SWAT, and drone teams are on site.
West Meadow Drive is closed to all vehicle and foot traffic, and King Avenue West is closed between South 36th Street West to South 32nd Street West in both directions. Police asked people to avoid the area.
We will update you if we get more information.
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